3 quick takes from Michigan State basketball's win over Rutgers at MSG

Jan 25, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) rebounds during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Jan 25, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Michigan State Spartans forward Coen Carr (55) rebounds during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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The curse has been lifted -- for now. Michigan State basketball avenged its loss to Rutgers at Madison Square Garden from the 2022-23 season by beating the Scarlet Knights 81-74 on Saturday.

The Spartans looked like the better team for about 35 minutes of action and probably should have finished with a double-digit win, but a Rutgers 3-pointer with seconds left made it just a seven-point win. That doesn't diminish how well Michigan State played on Saturday outside of 3-point shooting and turnovers.

Heck, the starters didn't even do that well, but the depth made the difference.

What did we learn from the Spartans' 81-74 win?

1. Coen Carr is becoming a legit All-Big Ten player

While he may not make an All-Big Ten team this year, Coen Carr is going to make it at some point in his career. He's already looking like a guy who could make an All-Big Ten team and he has looked like this for the past month, or so.

On the season, Carr is averaging 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, but over the past 12 games, he's averaging 9.8 points and 4.3 rebounds. It's not a huge difference, but it's growth.

On top of that, Carr has become a better defender and he's also improved his free throw shooting drastically after starting the year as a sub-50 percent shooter from the line. Over the past 10 games, he's making 89 percent from the line -- that's insane improvement.

If Carr can figure out his mid-range and 3-point game, he could be a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate.